Blimey.

ceejaydee said:

As we've got a few professional loco builders on here I'd like to ask would they like to be able to make and then sell 1:32 scale stock for that kind of money or does it still represent a lot of time and effort expended compared with the return?

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It'll probably cause consternation in some quarters, but...

...£4K for an rtr A4 like that is a bargain. Note that I didn't say 'cheap' or 'affordable to all'. But ignoring all the R&D involved, just for the build and the paintwork alone it's still a bargain. Try getting a skilled craftsman in almost any other field to produce such an exquisite working and durable item and I strongly suspect that you'd be paying so much more than that. If someone asked me to build and paint a 1:32 A4 from scratch for £4K I'd have to say no.

Actually, I doubt that I could scratchbuild an A4 - but that's beside the point!

I'd go with Adrian on that. The last big 4-6-0 I built cost the customer over £3k less painting, so yes they are 'cheap'.

I should add im talking 7mm here

They're gorgeous models Seem to be on the right money too, I've seen a commisioned a 1/32 electric powered Castle go for £4k...

Out of interest Simon (and knowing you quite well ), did you mention ScaleOne32 wheels when chatting to Lawrie?

Steve

28ten said:

Still plenty of wonga at the top end. Nice models, but the collecting lark does nothing for me, if they were kits I would be more interested

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I agree - but it comes down to two different hobbies, collecting & building and in some ways it seems to me to be pointless discussing them in the same thread. Collecting such as these is not modelling, anymore that buying a rake of RTR wagons and running them is.

What I find depressing is that - nice as the 32nd Gresley Full Brake shown above obviously is - you could produce as detailed a model in 7mm from one of the new Kemilway 61' 6" full brake kits for £170.00 and get a sense of acheivement into the bargain.

The overiding fear I have is of 7mm becoming like 4mm with every layout having the same locos & stock on them all to the same level of 'provided for' detail. No doubt this will be very evident after the Dapol PO wagons are released. You can already see it with the Heljan Class 47 - every one running around the with LH cab window part way down!

David Parkins

Steve Cook said:

They're gorgeous models Seem to be on the right money too, I've seen a commisioned a 1/32 electric powered Castle go for £4k...

Out of interest Simon (and knowing you quite well ), did you mention ScaleOne32 wheels when chatting to Laurie?

Steve

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No, er yes, well not quite, well it was like this officer...

I was admiring the model at close quarters, paying particular attention to the wheels, which prompted Lawrie (for it was he) to approach and ask what part of the model in particular I was so engrossed in studying.

So I sort of had to fess up, which I tried to do without being any more nerdy than was absolutely necessary

What emerged was that Lawrie didn't know what standard the wheels were produced to, but that they were produced to a standard acceptable to his main market, which is Germany.

I thought they looked better than G1MRA standard, but didn't have the cheek to go back with a rule to measure the back to back!!

Simon

Cheers Simon, thought it might have happened

Simon said:

So I sort of had to fess up, which I tried to do without being any more nerdy than was absolutely necessary

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As long as he didn't look at you too strangely

The A4's do look lovely - I hope he is at the G1MRA AGM, it would be nice to have a good look at them close up.

Steve

Buckjumper said:

It'll probably cause consternation in some quarters, but...

...£4K for an rtr A4 like that is a bargain. Note that I didn't say 'cheap' or 'affordable to all'. But ignoring all the R&D involved, just for the build and the paintwork alone it's still a bargain. Try getting a skilled craftsman in almost any other field to produce such an exquisite working and durable item and I strongly suspect that you'd be paying so much more than that. If someone asked me to build and paint a 1:32 A4 from scratch for £4K I'd have to say no.

Actually, I doubt that I could scratchbuild an A4 - but that's beside the point!

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Thought that might be the case and Guv confirmed that I was right in my (undisclosed) estimate of certainly no less than £1k for a paintjob on a loco like that..... as you say not cheap or affordable for the majority but certainly offering value for money for the right person considering the effort expended in putting it together.

Compared with a service on a big Bee Em, a Merc or one's Bentley I don't suppose £4k it is that much

Thanks for the reply.